Molecular and Macromolecular Electronic Materials

1. The research
Our research is focused on the experimental physical chemistry of heterogeneous, interface-dominated molecular and macromolecular organic systems. The range of materials includes, in particular, conjugated polyaromatic molecules as well as semicrystalline polymers and their blends, to name just the most important ones. In our studies, we put particular emphasis on relationships between molecular interactions controlling crystal packing, phase structure and overall crystal morphology of the materials; in particular thin films. The structural information is acquired by spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and microscopy, and supplemented with knowledge about phase transitions from calorimetric measurements. Such an approach enables us to understand and engineer materials with desired electronic properties being tested in model electronic devices such as organic thin-film transistors. More recently, we have also launched a research program on piezoelectric materials for applications in flexible piezoelectric generators and sensors. For this purpose, and also for all our other projects where controlled crystallization conditions are required, we have developed a unique, laser-assisted zone-evaporation crystallization technique – the LAZEC.

2. The group and the group members
The MMEM group has been established in 2017 as a result of intra-faculty collaboration between colleagues passionate about synthesis, processing and properties of materials for application in organic electronics and related fields. Currently, the group includes four core members and one external member at different career stages. Members of MMEM have expertise in different areas, which helps us finding solutions of complex scientific problems.

Group Leader
Dr Adam Kiersnowski, PhD (D.Sc.)

Core members:
Dr Krzysztof Janus, PhD
Dorota Chlebosz, MSc
Jakub Zawadziłło, MSc

External member:
Dr Waldemar Goldeman, PhD

Students:
Kinga Danielewicz

3. Projects and funding
Our research has been so far supported through three grants funded by National Science Centre (NCN), Poland and Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MNiSW)

1. [Ongoing] Crystallization of the Blends of Poly(3-Alkylthiophene-co-Thiophene) Copolymers with N-substituted Perylene Diimide Derivatives. Towards Tailoring Properties of Multicomponent Materials for Organic Electronics
2017-2020, National Science Centre, Poland 2016/22/E/ST5/00472, Funding: 1.335.767 PLN, PI: A. Kiersnowski
2. [Ongoing] Formation of electroactive polymer composite films by laser-assisted zone crystallization
2018-2021, National Science Centre Poland, 2017/25/B/ST5/02869, Funding: 1.301.520 PLN, PI: A. Kiersnowski
3. [Completed] Structure and phase transitions of binary blends of poly(3-hexylthiophene):N-alkylated aromatic diimide blends
2017-2018, Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Poland, 7263/E-366/M/2017 Funding 46.235 PLN, PI: D. Chlebosz

4. Our collaboration network

Our core facilities are located in Poland and Germany at Wroclaw University of Science and Technology (electronic experiments and film deposition) and the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research in Dresden (Germany) (mechanical properties of organic electronic materials, currently (Jan 2019) the lab is under construction.

There is no science without effective exchange of information and experiences. Hence, there is nothing better than a discussion with colleagues from different Universities as well as supplementing hands-on expertise in different laboratories. Therefore we actively collaborate with colleagues from the following research groups:
Department of Molecular Physics, Lodz, Poland (Prof. Jacek Ulanski)
Physics at Interfaces, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz Germany (Prof. Hans-Jürgen Butt, Prof. Markus Mezger)
Institute of Physical Chemistry, Univesity of Münster, Germany (Prof. Michael Ryan Hansen)
Institute of Electronic Structure and Lasers, Foundation of Research & Technology Hellas, Heraklion-Crete, Greece (Prof. Spiros Anastasiadis, Dr. Kiriaki Chrissopoulou)